A {Celebrate This Special Moment} Card...

Hello!  Hope everyone is having a great week.  I made this card in protest of the cold weather we are experiencing here, and it's only going to get colder.  Thoughts of spring were in order.

This is a one layer card that uses a bit of masking.  I started by stamping the sentiment first, embossing it with silver embossing powder, masking it, then stamping the jar and then the flowers in black ink.  

 The flowers are colored with watercolor pencils, then smoothed out a bit by using an aqua-painter.

I used a glitter pen to fill in the centers of each flower.  You can only see it when the card catches the light.

Have a great day!

{Celebrate This Special Moment}

Stamps: Well Preserved Jars Extras, Well Preserved Jars: Large, All Occasions 2 (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: Pressed Greige Linen (CSS)

Ink: Perfect Little Black Dress, From an Anonymous Source (CSS)

Accessories: Silver Embossing Powder, Glitter Pen, Watercolor Pencils, Aqua-Painter

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CSS Group Project!!!

Hi there!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  We sure did.  It was really a nice long weekend and my husband and I attended a Bengals game yesterday.  So much fun!

Today is Group Project day at Clear & Simple Stamps.  This challenge was, for lack of a better word, challenging.  I can tell you I made my fair share of recipes for Thanksgiving, but today we are talking about card recipes, not food recipes.  For my card, the design team was asked to follow this recipe for their cards:
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• 1 Button
• 1 Image
• 2 Dies / Die Cuts
• 1 Sentiment

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My card uses my new favorite neutral color, Pressed Greige Linen.  The card base uses one die (Labels 5) and the sentiment strip uses another die (the smaller die from Tags 1) that I modified to be a smidge narrower.  The floral image I chose comes from Well Preserved Jars: Small.  I colored the image with watercolor pencils and an aqua-painter.  The sentiment is from Well Preserved and the button came from my stash.        

Also worth noting, my card is very small.  It's more like a tag.  It's about 2.5" x 2.5".

I can't wait to find out if my fellow designers had a hard time with this challenge like I did.  Please check out their creations:

• Lori Tecler
• Jaclyn Miller
• Kim Duran
• Tracy Schultz
• Laurie Willison
• Jennifer Rzasa
• Clear & Simple Stamps

Have a great day!

{Thank You}

Stamps: Well Preserved, Well Preserved Jars: Small (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: Pressed Greige Linen, VIP Purple (CSS)

Ink: Perfect Little Black Dress, Purplicious (CSS)

Dies: Labels 5, Tags 1 (CSS) 

Accessories: Button, Twine, Watercolor Pencils, Aqua-Painter, Glue Dots

Read more...

CSS Group Project!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away?  Crazy, huh?  Appropriately, today's Clear & Simple Stamps design team group post is all about giving thanks.  Each of us has created a THANK YOU card to share on our blogs today.  

My card uses traditional fall colors and is pretty clean and simple.  I created a sort of collage using different elements, colors and textures.  

Be sure to hop around and see what each designer created!  

• Lori Tecler
• Jaclyn Miller
• Kim Duran
• Tracy Schultz
• Laurie Willison
• Jennifer Rzasa
• Elena Roussakis
• Clear & Simple Stamps

I have many, many things to be thankful for.  One of them is that I have a creative outlet in this blog and that I have the nicest people stop in and see what I created and share my enthusiasm for this craft.  From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

{Thank You}

Stamps: Leaflets, Designer Lines, Label Frames 1, Well Preserved (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: Kraft Like a Rockstar, Cre'me de la Cream, Brown Leather Satchel (CSS)

Ink: Dish All the Dirt Brown, Dare to Be a Diva Red, Orange You Fabulous (CSS)

Dies: Leaflets (CSS) 

Accessories: Edge Distresser, Brown/White Twine (CSS), Foam Dots, Corner Rounder Punch

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CSS App Sneak Peek!

Happy Monday!  Oh wait, is that an oxymoron?  Either way, I have a card that is being featured on the Clear & Simple Stamps App for the iPhone (and like devices).  It's a clean and simple autumnal card.

Have a great day!

Read more...

A {Way 2 Go} Card...

Happy Friday!  My son is finally back to school today after missing three days.  I've had three long days of being Nurse Mommy.  He ended up having an Upper Respiratory Infection and was absolutely miserable, which makes me miserable too.  This morning I crammed three days worth of errands into one morning.  Having a productive day, yay me!

Onto my card!  I have another fun card using Comic Book, Comic Bursts, and Burst Dies.  I love these coordinating sets for making cards for boys, big or little.  

Such a simple and basic card.

Have a fabulous weekend!!!

{Way 2 Go}

Stamps: Comic Book, Comic Bursts (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: Dare to Be a Diva Red, Perfect Little Black Dress, Say Yellow to All Your Fans, A Blanc Check (CSS)

Ink: Dare to Be a Diva Red, Perfect Little Black Dress (CSS)

Dies:  Burst (CSS)

Accessories: Foam Dots

Read more...

A {Cheer Up} Card...

Hey there!  I hope you are having a great day!  We've been a little laid back the last two days since my little guy has been sick.  I have been able to sneak in a little crafty time though.

I have a cheery card to share today.  I created a little scene using Cloudy Days, Cloudy Days Sentiments and Clouds Combo Dies.  I even used Imprints 3 (Sunburst) impression plate and Shapes: Circles Dies to create a sun.

Lots of layers to this card.  The sentiment "Cheer Up" is stamped partially on the sun (that is popeped up on foam dots) and partially on the panel underneath.  

Thanks so much for visiting me today!!!

{Cheer Up}

Stamps: Cloudy Days, Cloudy Days Sentiments (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: A Blanc Check, Trendsetter Blue, Say Yellow to All Your Fans, Your Style Blue Me Away (CSS)

Ink: Your Style Blue Me Away, True Blue Fan (CSS)

Dies: Imprints 3, Shapes: Circles, Clouds Combo (CSS) 

Accessories: Foam Dots

Read more...

CSS Group Project! New Colors!!!

Good Morning!  I've been waiting for this day for quite some time, I'm finally able to share the NEW COLORS that  Clear & Simple Stamps is releasing today.  The design team is hosting a gift exchange and we are each focusing a NEW COLOR.  The color that I chose to work with is ROUGE RUFFLES.  It's red with a little brown mixed in, like an earthy red.  I love it!  

Here's a message from Clear & Simple Stamps regarding these exciting changes: 

Clear and Simple Stamps has made the choice to "go green" and revitalize the CSS current color line. You will see a few new colors and some vintage colors no longer being offered, in an effort to provide product made from renewable contents. All of the color coordinated products are made in the USA. The paper comes from mills that practice responsible, sustainable forestry while manufacturing the highest quality paper products on the market. These mills are powered by renewable energy sources, and our paper products are made of 100% recycled content with 30% PCW (post-consumer waste). We are very pleased to announce our commitment to incorporate environmental practices into our daily crafting.

These new colors don't just include card stock and ink, they also have coordinating envelopes (two sizes) and some have gift wrap.  Rouge Ruffles does not have a coordinating Gift Wrap, so I used the new Kraft Like a Rock Star gift wrap.  I love it!  The perfect weight for wrapping gifts and it accepts ink beautifully.  

(click here to download PDF)

Onto the details about my project:

For my card, I created two panels with a space in the center for some falling leaves using the stamp set Leaflets and coordinating dies.  I used Rouge Ruffles card stock to line the two panels, and Rouge Ruffles ink for some of the leaves and the sentiment.  The card is sitting on top of a coordinating Rouge Ruffles envelope.  I replicated some of the leaves along one of the edges so it would coordinate with my card.

Here's a close-up of the card.  You can see the subtle Distressed Linen background that I stamped using From an Anonymous Source watermark ink.  

I am the most excited about my present!  I replicated the background from the card on my gift wrap, just using Rouge Ruffles ink this time.   The bow that sits atop the gift was made using Rouge Ruffles card stock!  It's the first time I've ever made a gift bow!  It was pretty easy.  The trick to using card stock is to run each strip through your fingers to get it to curve on its own before you start manipulating it.

My tag looks like a sugar cookie!  This is a recipe I discovered last year when my kids and I made Christmas Ornaments.  Here's the recipe:  
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1/2 C. Salt
1/2 C. Warm Water
1 C. All Purpose Flour

Mix all ingredients, roll out dough.  Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes and use a straw to create a small hole to thread string through, transfer to a cookie sheet.  I like to roll my dough out directly on the cookie sheet so I don't have to worry about the dough getting out of shape when I move them.  If you want to stamp on your tag/ornament do this now.  You can also paint on them afterwards.  Bake at 250* for about two hours until they are hardened.
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You'll have to check out the following designers to see all the colors being released today!  Have fun blog hopping!

• Lori Tecler
• Jaclyn Miller
• Kim Duran
• Tracy Schultz
• Laura Bassen
• Laurie Willison
• Jennifer Rzasa
• Elena Roussakis
• Stephany Zerbe
• Denise January
• Amber Kemp-Gerstel
• Debby Hughes (guest)

• Clear & Simple Stamps

Have a great day!

{Thank You Gift Ensemble}

Stamps: Leaflets, Distressed Linen, All Occasions 1, Well Preserved Jars Extras (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: Rouge Ruffles, Kraft Like a Rockstar, On the Catwalk Cream (CSS)

Ink: Rouge Ruffles, Dish All the Dirt Brown, From an Anonymous Source (CSS)

Dies: Leaflets (CSS) 

Accessories: Kraft Like a Rockstar Gift Wrap, Rouge Ruffles Envelope, Twine/Rafia, Foam Dots, Glue Dots, Salt Dough Tag

Read more...

CSS Party Hop!!!

Happy Weekend!!!  I have such a fun project to share with you today.  We are literally having a PARTY HOP!  Each design team member has a party ensemble to share today.  How fun?!!

I used the new set Comic Bursts to create party invitations and cupcake toppers that would be perfect for a child's party.

I started with an A Blanc Check card base.  I used the background stamp Comic Book, stamped it using Dare to Be a Diva Red ink on a piece of A Blanc Check and trimmed it into a thick strip and then matted it on Dare to Be a Diva Red card stock with the edges distressed.  I die cut the Bursts shapes in sizes that can be stacked (A Blanc Check stacked on Your Style Blue Me Away card stock).   The bursts were stamped with a super fun super hero word using Perfect Little Black Dress ink.

Since this is an invitation, I needed to include all the party information.  I have a few invitation sets I could use, but I thought the style of Party Elements: Baby kept with the feel of the ensemble, and there's nothing babyish about it.  I carried over the colors from the front of the card to the inside of the card.

When I was die cutting Bursts shapes for the front of my card, I cut some extra to adhere to toothpicks to stick in my cupcakes.  

• Tracy Schultz
• Lori Tecler
• Jennifer Rzasa
• Laurie Willison
• Jaclyn Miller
• Amber Kemp-Gerstel
• Debby Hughes (guest designer)
• Clear & Simple Stamps Blog

Have a great weekend!

{It's a Super Hero Party}

Stamps: Comic Book, Comic Bursts, Party Elements: Baby (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: A Blanc Check, Dare to Be a Diva Red, You're Style Blue Me Away (CSS)

Ink: Dare to Be a Diva Red, You're Style Blue Me Away, Perfect Little Black Dress (CSS)

Dies: Bursts (CSS) 

Accessories: Edge Distresser, Toothpicks

Read more...

BlogHer Book Club Review...

Hey friends!  I have another BlogHer Book Club selection to tell you about.  This time we are reading Reflected In You by Sylvia Day.  This is a very different book than I've ever reviewed on this blog.  I am someone who reads all kinds of genres if the content is good.  This book is along the lines of 50 Shades of Grey.  It is the same sort of story as well: a girl and a guy, abusive past, volatile relationship, very steamy.  This book is also part of a series, it is book 2 and book 3 is coming out next year.  This seems to be a new genre that's been popping up everywhere.  I didn't enjoy this book that much because it's just more of the same.  Once you've read one series, you've read 'em all.  Hopefully I'm wrong though.

To kick off the discussions of this book, we are asking: "What do you do to recharge?"  Join us over on the BlogHer Book Club discussion page.

Have a great day!

Read more...

A {You're My Hero} Card...

Hi there!  I have a quick and easy card to share with you today.  Don't you just love that dotted background stamp?  It's becoming one of my new favs.  It's called Comic Book and coordinates with Comic Burst stamp set.

This card is 4" square, the same size as the background stamp.  I stamped the background using Perfect Little Black Dress ink and then used a Burst die to cut out the center for the sentiment.

I adhered the Say Yellow to All Your Fans card stock behind the card using foam dots, then I stamped the outline of the burst shape using Dare to Be a Diva Red ink and stamped the sentiment in Your Style Blue Me Away ink.

Have a great day!

{You're My Hero}

Stamps: Comic Book, Comic Burst (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: A Blanc Check, Say Yellow to All Your Fans (CSS)

Ink: Perfect Little Black Dress, Dare to Be a Diva Red, Your Style Blue Me Away (CSS)

Dies: Burst (CSS) 

Accessories: Foam Dots

Read more...

CSS Release in Review...

Hello!  I hope you are having a great weekend!  We are enjoying a nice long weekend due Election Day, the kiddos are off school both Monday and Tuesday!

Today marks Day 1 of Clear & Simple Stamps Release in Review.  We are sharing even more projects using items from Collection 5.  But specifically, today we are showcasing {The Basics} which have three groupings: Rounded Squares/Labels, Clouds (which I'm sharing today), and Fall Frenzy.

I created a card and gift bag with tag ensemble.  The card is the "cloudy day" and the tag is the "sunshine".

For my card, I started with an On the Catwalk Cream card stock base and inside panel.  I stamped the clouds from the set Cloudy Days in three shades of blue ink: Trendsetter Blue, Simply Blue-tiful, and Your Style Blue Me Away.  The sentiment, from Cloudy Days Sentiments, was stamped using True Blue Fan ink.  The panel is adhered to the card using foam dots.

For the tag, I die cut Say Yellow to All Your Fans card stock using the larger Tags 1 die.  I ran it through my Cuttlebug using the Imprints 3 (sunburst/clouds) impression plate.  The "to and from" stamp comes from a set that was released earlier this year called Trendy Tags and is stamped using True Blue Fan ink to coordinate with the sentiment on the card.  The tag is attached to the handles of the bag using Navy Blue/White Twine and Yellow/White Twine.

Be sure to check out what my fellow designers have created using {The Basics}:

• Elena Roussakis
• Laurie Willison
• Lori Tecler
• Debby Hughes (guest designer)
• Clear & Simple Stamps Blog

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of your (hopefully long) weekend!!!

{You Are My Sunshine Card & Tag}

Stamps: Cloudy Days, Cloudy Days Sentiments, Trendy Tags (Clear & Simple Stamps)

Card Stock: On the Catwalk Cream, Say Yellow to All Your Fans (CSS)

Ink: True Blue Fan, Trendsetter Blue, Simply Blue-tiful, Your Style Blue Me Away (CSS)

Dies: Imprints 3, Tags 1 (CSS) 

Accessories: Navy Blue/White Twine, Yellow/White Twine, Foam Dots

Read more...

An {I am blue without you} Card...

Hi there!  Happy Friday!  We are getting ready for a big event for my son's class tonight.  Excited that it's finally here but glad it will be over so I can stop worrying about it.  I hope the skies are clear (unlike today's card) because we are spending the night looking at the stars!

For my card today, I used some of the newly released stamps from CSS's Collection 5.  I used the background stamp Comic Book to create a rainy background.  I did not mask the open space where the sentiment was placed, I simply stamped above and below the sentiment.  

I die cut and stamped some clouds using Clouds Combo and arranged them so they were hanging over the edges, then trimmed them flush with the edge.  

It's kind of odd for me to create a card with layers that are not popped up on foam dots.  But I don't think that would have been a good look for this card.   What do you think?

Thanks so much for sharing part of your day with me!  I hope you all have a great weekend!!!  

{I am blue without you...}

Stamps: Comic Book, Cloudy Days Sentiments, Clouds Combo (Clear & Simple Stamps) 

Card Stock: Trendsetter Blue, A Blanc Check (CSS)

Ink: Your Style Blue Me Away (CSS)

Dies:  Clouds Combo (CSS)

Read more...