So Very Blessed

Made this card a while ago, and with my daughter and son-in-law in town and my work space occupado, thought this would be a great time to put in up!!

Made this with Papertrey Ink flower stamps/dies and sentiment stamps/dies!  used Soft Suede cardstock to die cut flowers and for card and flower stems.  Versamarked the flowers and white embossed.  Used Papertrey Ink design paper for the "blessed" and Martha Stewart heart punches with glossy accents for the flower centers.  Hope you are having a great week...be blessed!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Necklace Turned Card

Just a quick post to show you what I did with part of a $2 necklace I bought at a local Hallmark store...

I cut the Christmas lights apart and strung them across the white panel(there were enough lights for a little over 2 cards..use less lights, more cards).  I added a sentiment from Lil' Inkers and layered on silver card...how I love inspiration:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays 79...Winter Blues

This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays ushers in the unveiling of the November CAS-ual Fridays Stamps stamp set releases....Yeah!!!!....and due to next Thursday being Thanksgiving, this week's challenge will last for TWO WEEKS....yeah!!!   Don't know about you, but more time during a holiday is ALWAYS welcome by me!!!  This challenge is to make a clean and simple card that uses BLUE on your WINTER themed card...

With all the new CAS-ual Fridays stamps....how cool is it that the sponsor this week is CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!!

  A winter card made with blue...what a fun challenge, hope you will join us this next 2 weeks and share your creativity and inspiration!!  Here's what I made...

I made my card using one of the new CAS-ual Fridays Stamps sets called Snowflake Greetings...LOVE the sentiments and the wonderful snowflakes...a SUPER FUN and versatile set!!!  Stamped 3 different snowflakes with versamark and white embossed on tempting turquoise paper.   Used my 1" square punch and punched out the flakes in different areas added sentiment to card and popped up squares on natural white card(has little fibrous specs) and added 3 turquoise rhinestones to the snowflakes.  Super simple, but loved the graphic feel and simplicity!!!

Hope you will check out the CAS-ual Fridays blog ...you will find inspiration from the other Girl Fridays and can join all the fun entering your card into the challenge....Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps...Day 2 Sneaks!

Today, I've made some cards with the second set of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps November release stamp sets...this one is called Merry Kiss-mas...a wonderful set of stamps that has pretty Christmas greenery images and sweet sentiments!!  Here are the cards I made...

 This was simply done by stamping the holly and sentiment on a card then twice again on green paper and cut out the green ones. Emboss the card...used an impression plate from Papertrey Ink.   Adhere the green leaves over the ones stamped on the card and color in the berries with red ink.  Dot the red berries with glossy accents .

Used the same holly leaves as the first card on the same green paper. Stamped several times as close to looking like a wreath as possible and then cut out around outside and in the middle.  Stamp 5 or 6 more hollies and cut out.  Adhere all around the already stamped "wreath" and then dot the berries with red liquid pearls.  Place on holly embossed panel and adhere to card.

On this card, I stamped the mistletoe with black on kraft, colored with green Prismacolor pencils and dotted with white enamel accents.  Added red ribbon and popped up on kraft card with this adorable sentiment!!
Hope you will check out the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog  to not only see all the new stamp sets, but to see what's been created with them!!...leave a comment on the post of each day's  release and you will have a chance to win that day's stamp set!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps... a "Happy" Sneak

I am so thrilled to usher in CAS-ual Fridays Stamps  first set of the November stamp set releases today...the holiday season abounds and is super evident in all the sets...today's set is called 8 Happy Nights!!  This set has a wonderful array of images and sentiments that celebrate Hanukkah!!  Here's what I made...

The dreidel poem sentiment inspired me...I HAD to make some clay dreidels!!  I used  white Primo Sculpey clay, rolled it thin(I used my Tim Holtz acrylic blocks for rolling depth...they are super thin), stamped on then cut out the dreidel image and baked them. Super easy and what GREAT FUN, loved how easy it was to stamp on clay(I researched before stamping and found that Sculpey brand and the Primo type was best for this). Check out the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog for cards featuring ALL the wonderful sets for the next 5 days...leave a comment on each day's post and you will make yourself eligible to win each day's stamp set...how very cool it that???!!!!  Christmas music is playing on a radio station where I live...puts me so in the mood to create for the Holidays!!!  How 'bout you?!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Wonderful Washi

Just have to say...I didn't get the "washi" thing...heard about it a long time ago, and found it really easy to resist the craze.  A couple months ago, I gave in and purchased a couple rolls...decided to give it a try.  Someone said on a post of a really simple card I made about a month ago with some washi that I should watch out...I'd be hooked, well she was right..I AM HOOKED!!  Let me tell you why!  I LOVE DIES...and when you die cut sentiments, it is really hard to find design papers with design small enough to accomodate dies...the patterns are just too darn large.  So, I had settled to emboss, or stamp on paper with die cutting.  I experimented the other day with washi tape and some Papertrey Ink sentiment dies and LOVED,LOVED, LOVED the small patterns effect on die cutting using the washi...
SUPER SIMPLE cards...but just wanted to show you what washi looks like die cut...

LOVE the intense patterns created with washi tape...and the soft texture after die cutting is super cool, too!!

The dies are Counting My Blessings and stamps by Papertrey Ink.  The blue washi is from AC Moores, the pink is We R Memory Keepers.  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Retro Squares...Too Much Fun!!

I got the Retro Squares dies by My Favorite Things, sat down to make a card, and couldn't stop!!  I STILL have more ideas...but here are 6 for now(My daughter said these cards looked like they belonged in the Brady Bunch show...I guess being "retro" squares...that's just about right...I just loved the fact that they are cool squares:):)!!)...

 Made with circles cut from Stampin Up Owl punch adhered in the middles of the squares and coated with some Glossy Accents...sentiment Hero Arts Essential Messages

 This one was made with the ENTIRE die(about 6" long) and some punched hearts from a Martha Stewart Heart punch with some scored lines.

This one made with a Papertrey Ink die and a Hero Arts sentiment from Baby set, and the same MS hearts.

This one was made with Papertrey Ink Simple Stripes impression plate run over all three blues in different directions and sentiment from same set as first two.

This one was made with design paper from Stampin Up and the same sentiment as the last one.

 This one didn't photgraph well, but made with 2 shiny papers from Michael's and a sentiment from Hampton Arts done in versamark with silver embossing powder and Taken with Teal ink.   The silver squares are bling from Michael's.  Here's a close up pic...

What a versatile die...and so much fun!!  Just so you know...I love the "layered look" so all the outside die cuts are tripled...the bottoms, just one layer...the hearts 3 layers and circles, too!   Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays 78...So Torn!

It's another wonderful week at CAS-ual Fridays!!  This week the challenge is to make a clean and simple project and tear something on it:)!!

And this week's sponsor is none other than CAS-ual Fridays Stamps:

...the winner will receive a gift certificate for a shopping spree for some of this new company's wonderful new stamps:)!!  

 Sounds simple, right?!...Well, being one who loves and strives always for clean lines...this was tough for me!!  I find it really tough to tear:)!! Here's what I came up with...

I used a brand new set of stamps from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps called Snowflake Greetings which has wonderful sentiments and all kinds of pretty snowflakes!  I used some of the smaller snowflakes and stamped them on red  cardstock with versamark.  I tore the paper and added to a piece of cream cardstock that I had stamped the sentiment on and added a red rhinestone.  Added the bow(ribbon from Michael's) and there you have it:)!!  Hope you will try YOUR hand at tearing...check out the CAS-ual Fridays blog for more inspiration...there are all kinds of wonderful cards there to give you ideas!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

And the Winner is....

Thank-you all for letting me and others hear about your Christmas card creating.  I loved reading all your comments, I was inspired by many as well as comforted by others who, like me make Christmas cards and give them to others to send to friends and family.  The random winner of the Penny Black Constellations Flower stamp is comment ....
 # 15...Sheri, " Beautiful card! Yes, I make Christmas cards. Mostly all simple assembly line cards but I make around 60 each year".

Please drop me an  email with your address, Sheri, and I'll get your stamp to you right away:)!!  My email is laddesa@gmail.com.And OOPS...can't believe it...but I just did it again, this time with a die...I bought two of the same die on different orders, and will be giving one of them away...probably next week so be looking for another give away:)!!....

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays 77...Manly Thanks

This week at CAS-ual Fridays, the challenge is to make a clean and simple project with a boy, man, guy in mind...anything masculine goes...

This week's sponsor is the wonderful Simon Says Stamp... 

 the winner of this week's challenge will not only win a sweet $25 shopping spree, but be the guest designer next month!!...here's what I made for this challenge...

I used the wonderful new stamp set from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps, Big Thanks!  SUPER simple...stamped the border three times in soft suede and brocade blue, the sentiment  in Soft suede as well and emboss, and popped up on card...DONE:)!!  That IS the way that CAS is supposed to be done after all, right:):)?!!  Hope you will join with us this week and be a part of the fun!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Constellations Christmas...And a Give-Away!

As promised...another extra stamp give away :)...the Constellations Flowers stamp from Penny Black!  I had made a couple cards back in June which you can find HERE that I made using liquid pearls.  I must admit...I can't see this stamp without them...ok, I could , but am having way too much fun with the pearls:)!!  I made a few...super simple and easy layout with different colors for Christmas, will show you my two favorites!...
Both used versamark with silver embossing powder(hard to photograph..but you get the idea).  Here are the flowers in three shades of blue...

 A little close up...

 And with white liquid pearls...

The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Christmas Blessings and the ribbon is from Michael's.
 Confession time...I don't really do Christmas cards.  I will send to close family, but the scope of people we know is so huge, sending cards is something I could not even begin to fathom.  There, I've said it.  Am I the only one??  For your chance to win this stamp, let me know your answer to that question...Do you make and send Christmas cards?? lots...a few??  I will keep comments open until next Tuesday at 7pm. ..anyone... anywhere!  Would love to hear from you!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Some Pink with CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!

I have a couple cards on the CAS-ual Fridays Store blog today!!  I made these two cards with the new stamps by Michele Gross, the owner of CAS-ual Fridays blog!!  She has started her own line of amazing and beautiful stamps...here are the two cards I made...

I made this by stamping the image on the cardstock and then again on scrap cardstock.  I cut the petals out from one and colored.  I adhered to stamped cardstock  while adding sentiment.  Slightly moved petals out a bit to give dimension.  The stamps sets used are Truth Is and Calm and Gentle...the second is total Calm and Gentle stamp set....

 This one I simply made by stamping trees and drawing dotted line.  I punched a tiny heart from MS heart punch and dotted with glossy accents to give interest  and dimension.  I tore the paper to make look like a snowy landscape.  Here's a closer look at the heart...

Hope you will check out the CAS-ual Fridays Store blog and take a look at all the brand new stamps at the CAS-ual  Fridays store ..so very wonderful!!!....Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Simon Says... Stamp!!

I am so honored and thrilled to pieces that I have been chosen to be featured on the Simon Says Stamp blog today!!!!

 I am a HUGE shopper at their online store....their store has the largest selection of products I have EVER seen, and I can shop for almost every company's lines on their store site!  But... in recent times, Simon Says Stamp has come out with their own line of stamps and dies, amongst other items... and now much of my shopping with SSS is SSS!!!  I seriously cannot get enough of their dies, especially!!  A card that I made some months ago with one of their very cool dies, Circle Border,  was seen by SSS's marketing director, Stephanie.  She saw the card at Splitcoaststampers, I had made it for a sketch challenge.  Stephanie contacted me and asked if she could feature that card on their blog and asked if I could make another card using the same die a different way....I was thrilled for the opportunity and at the challenge:)!!  I came up with 2 very similiar but made totally different cards using the Circle Border die... both seeing the die on an angle.  Below are my two new cards, check out all the cards at the  Simon Says Stamp blog !!

This one simply uses a striped foil paper, die cut, cut and layered.

This one used stripes of paper adhered to cardstock and then die cut:)

Thanks, Stephanie, and Simon Says Stamp for featuring my work...I remain honored and humbled!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays #76...Being "Krafty"

Last week's CAS-ual Fridays challenge brought the announcement of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps....YEAH!!!  This week's challenge brings the announcement that the CAS-ual Fridays Stamp store will now be officially OPEN FOR BUSINESS....DOUBLE YEAH!!!  Hope you will go and check it out...wonderful, fun and CAS stamps and they are wonderful to stamp with too!!!  These are such incredibly exciting times for Michele, CAS-ual Fridays and all of us Girl Fridays...but sad, as well.  There are four girl Fridays that we will be saying "farewell"to after this week...Karolyn, Jenny, Julie and Stephanie, but I am hoping they will be around albeit as a part of the challenges,just not on the DT:):)!!  I wish you all well!!!
On to the challenge...I am having so much fun with all the wonderful new stamps...my card for this week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays  uses two of the CAS-ual Fridays stamps sets, the challenge is to make a clean and simple project using kraft...

And this week's sponsor is none other than CAS-ual Fridays Stamps...

The winner of this week's challenge will win the very first CAS-ual Fridays gift certificate!!  So....not only be a part of the fun, but put yourself in the running for some of these wonderful stamps!!!  Here's what I made...

Used the CAS-ual Friday sets Truth is and Calm and Gentle.  Stamped in Versamark and white embossed.  Used Prismacolored pencils and ribbon....super simple...love kraft and pink together.  Hope that you will come play with all us at CAS-ual Fridays this week!!  Wanted to let you know, too...I am so thankful for all of you who read and follow my blog...this one's for you...you make my heart happy!!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Card for a Veterinarian

My son, Noah's, best friend, Noah, has a passion for caring for his own and rescuing/caring for wild animals.  He recently asked if I would make a card for the veterinarian who kindly treats not only his animals(he has lots of animals...chickens, cockatiels, guinea pigs and now even bees...I know, they're NOT animals, but think it's cool) but also treats the wild ones he brings to him(birds, ducks, opossum, rabbits, turkeys  even rats...no comment...but I guess that's a comment)!  Being the only animal stamps I have that I just love I used my Lawn Fawn Critters on the Farm and one of my recent favorites from Papertrey Ink Thanks All Ways and made this...

Paper pieced all the animals and used the same layout as a couple other cards with the grounded black line.  Not your typical dog or cat, but the animals that Noah takes to him are not dogs and cats...thought it kind of worked.  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

CAS-ual Fridays Sneak Peek (Day 3)!

Well...the news is out...Michele Gross, the owner of CAS-ual Fridays Blog has begun a wonderful new stamp line of the same name...CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!!!

 We Girl Fridays have had to keep the knowledge of this under wraps for a while, but now we all get to be a  part of the series of Sneak Peaks that started on Saturday and will last for another couple days until cards featuring the 5 stamp sets are revealed...how incredibly exciting...and how thrilled I am to get to show you one of the cards that I made with one of these wonderful sets!!   The name of the set is Big Thanks...right up my alley with cool graphic designs and around-the-world sentiments:)...           

There are a few of things I wanted you to know about these wonderful stamps and the festivities surrounding them:

- CAS-ual Fridays tamps are made of the finest quality photopolymer and made in USA. 

- There are FIVE sets in the new release, one set will be revealed through "sneaks" each day.  One set from each release day  will be given away for that day's comments... all you have to do is go to the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog and comment on each of the sneak posts for your chance to win.  You can go back to sneak days that you missed and still comment if  you're  joining the party a little late.  Michele will  close commenting at 11:59 pm on Wednesday night.  Winners will be announced on Thursday. 

- You can also play along in this week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays: Over The Edge ,  the winner of this week's challenge will win the entire release!

Wow...how cool and how much fun...hope you will check it all out and join in the wonderful festivities!!!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

With All My Heart

Super quick post...got a Simon Says Stamp die and HAD to make a card with it...

With a sentiment like this, you could use this card for a lot of occasions...but could also add other sentiments with it...I chose simplicity!  Layered each word and die cut the Stampin Up punched heart WITH the black cardstock, so that the heart was a PART of the sentiment:)!  Put Papertrey Ink Woodgrain texture on card...to give it a little more interest.  Hope your weekend is wonderful!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa
Editing to add some pics of how I die cut...thanks Scrapper Q for your request:

Putting the heart in front of the black paper makes an imprint like this...

 Now, you could do the same thing without the added layer die cut, the only thing...if you die cut separately, the black centers are pretty sure to come out...if there is the added layer of red, the black centers of the letters are less likely to fall out.  You may still have to dot the RED middles of the  "e, a and r" to get them to stick, but they will have the black layer behind them to glue TO.  I layered the words , but added pop up dots to the heart pieces.  Hope this all brings a little more clarity to how I did it all:)!!

CAS-ual Friday 75...Over the Edge!

The BIG day has finally arrived for the BIG announcement about CAS-ual Fridays LITTLE sister!!!!  BUT...you'll have to go to the CAS-UAL FRIDAYS BLOG to meet the "new little sister"!!  There is going to be a week long party with prizes and special guests!!  Hope you will join in the wonderful fun and excitement tonight and through the week........ F-U-N and E-X-C-I-T-E-M-E-N-T!!!!!
Coupled with all the fun is the weekly challenge and this week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is to make a clean and simple project with an element that extends past the card base...

Here is what I made....

The stamps used in my project were provided by this week's sponsor...very cool!!!  Used Papertrey Ink paper and simple striped impression plate.  Hope you will join in all the fun this week and help celebrate the "new arrival" at CAS-ual Fridays...it is going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Autumn Leaves

Made this card for Splitcoaststampers Clean and Simple challenge 192 which has a theme....HARVEST...

Used a stamp from Memory Box(Autumn Trees) and a sentiment from Papertrey Ink(Falling Leaves).  Stamped the image and cut into 3 pieces.  Sponged each section with a distress ink(Fired Brick, Wild Honey and Scattered Straw.  Layered on chipboard and attached to card.  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

The Winner is...

Am so appreciative of all the wonderful comments...thank you all for joining  the Memory Box Snowy Branches stamp give away!!...I only wish I had 51 to give away(there were 52 comments, but Cindy already has this stamp:)!).
Using Random.org the winning comment is.....comment #31..Karin!!
"Great card! The stamp is wonderful and I love the snowdrops!"
Karin
Congrats, Karin!!...please drop me an email with your name and address, and I'll get that stamp in the mail to you right away!!
                                            My email address is: laddesa@gmail.com
I will have another cool stamp(well, I think it's cool:)!!) that I had double purchased(am I the only one who ever does this?) up for grabs in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned:)!!
Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa

Happy Boss's Day!

My daughter asked me to make a card for her boss for Boss's Day today...

She had gone through my cards and picked one she liked and I redid it, personalizing it for a boss(kind of with the same flavor and idea of the CAS-ual Friday Blog Header challenge HERE...  Made with Lil' Inkers small sunshine die and sentiments from Papertrey Ink Thanks All Ways, the centers are sunshine die cuts with the petals/rays cut off.  Here's the original that I made a while ago, but never put up... 

This one has a sentiment from Recollections(Michael's).  Happy Boss's Day!!  Thanks for visiting me today!! Hugs!! Lisa