CYCI# 65 Workin' Hard CAS

 Welcome back to another CanYouCaseIt.com Clean and Quick - 10 minutes or less Challenge.

This time we have the added challenge of limiting our card to 2 layers. Here's what I came up with....

Ok, so I know it doesn't look that simple, and it isn't entirely clean, (and I have a confession...it took a lot longer than 10 minutes to make) but I was sure to adhere to the 2 layer limit!! Lol. I guess I focused on that part of the challenge and figured that it would stay simple. Plus, I had a great idea for the card and really wanted to make it work :-)   Oh well... looking back on it, it really was a simple design. I used the Wood You Be Mine and Adventure Awaits stamp sets. I random stamped the wood slice in Early Espresso on Chocolate Chip CS then embossed the Adventure Awaits typography in the middle. I stamped the axe, colored it with Early Espresso and Silver, and fussy cut it (probabaly the hardest part of the card, but still fairly easy). After that I used the axe to chop out the center of a piece of Adventure Bound DSP. Added the sentiment from @SoSocial, mounted it all, and Poof!!  See, it took way less than 10 minutes to read about it, so there!  LMBO! 

Well thanks again for joining me for another fun card...now please go visit CanYouCaseIt.com to see what other creations await. I'd also like to know if any of my readers are participating in the challenge, so please drop me a note below! 

See you all next week; ta-ta for now :-) 

Adventure Awaits Photopolymer Bundle

$27.95

(At)Sosocial Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$26.95

Wood You Be Mine Photopolymer Stamp Set

$23.95

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$8.50

Silver Stampin' Dazzle Marker

$3.50

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Man Style - Crashing Fancy Friday Like a Boss!!

Hello there!  Welcome to my domain!  Earlier this week I was working on my card for this week's CYCI when my I suddenly found myself sharing my crafting space with wifey.  She was in a panic about having to make something masculine for one of her hops, so I let her borrow my new Adventure Awaits stamp set and use my Maritime DSP and we had something of a stamp off.  I know what you're all thinking...she's so lucky to be able to glean off of my talent.  LMBO!  I kid, I kid... 

So after I finished my card (which will post this Sunday 3/29/15; but I'm sure that you already have it on your calendar, right?) she asked me if I wanted to make a man card and play along with the Fancy Friday Artisan Team Hop.  What an honor!  So I made two!  Lol!  P.S.  Unfortunately I am not officially associated with the team :-(  I'm just related by marriage.  Maybe someday I can grow up and put my Artisan pants on... But in the meantime, here's what I put together:

 

For this first card I went with a simple design, but a complicated process!  Aside from the card base, all of the paper that you see started as Whisper White. I started by embossing my new favorite stamp, then sponged Night of Navy and Blackberry Bliss all around.  Then I masked the image and used the sunburst stencil to create the rays. After that, I painstakingly cut out the negative space of the rays to create the main image on the forefront.  BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!  I created the background layer by sponging Crushed Curry and Real red to create a sunsety color scheme.  Connected the two, trimmed to a 4"x4", added the layers and base, and voila! Oh, yeah...I finished it off with a broad coating of glittery shine,  but its hard to capture that in the pic.  I know that you may be thinking, "Hey, Stampin' Stud; this is supposed to be a man card but you used glitter!"  Well let me tell you something...a real man knows how to appreciate some well placed glitter.

 

My second offering:

 

 

I wanted to go with a traditional masculine card so of course I grabbed the manly and versatile Guy Greetings set and some black, white, and gray CS.  But I couldn't keep it boring so I had to give it some good ol' Stampin' Stud silliness.  After all, who doesn't want a card that brings a grin?  So I crafted the party hat out of a scrap of Maritime DSP (the banner is the perfect size and also comes in Night of Navy and Coastal Cabana), lightly colored the pants with the blender pen and Basic Gray, and chose a sentiment that you could give to your party hat wearing mentor (Lol!).  As I was playing with the layout, I realized that it needed something else...after looking around and asking Mercedes for a Man-Doily, I realized that there is no such thing and I would need to improvise. I drew inspiration from the talented Holly Stene and die cut a vellum star to finish it off.

 

Well thanks for hanging out in my man-cave today! If you're new to me, please visit my last post; it features my favorite card to date as well as a little Q&A/TMI for you.  Hope you enjoy(ed) and I look forward to spending more quality time with you in the days, weeks, months, and years to come!

 

 

Awesome Adventurous Curious Goat - Creative Blog Hop

Hello, friends! Today I have a special treat!  I know...You're saying, "But it's Monday.  Why are you posting on Monday?  You never post on Mondays.  Shouldn't you be at work?"  To which I reply, "Yes, I am at work, and yes, I realize that it's Monday.  I said that this is a special treat!" 

This is a post for a Creative Blog Hop!!   I was nominated all the way from Canada by the sweet and talented Krista Frattin  at stampindolce.com to participate.  Hope you shoot over to her blog and check out her amazing projects!  This hop has been described as a sort of creative "chain letter" and my two nominees will be below.   But first, here's my card! I have to admit, (off the record; don't tell my others) I think that this is my favorite card so far...hope that's ok to say...I know its taboo as a parent (Lol)...anyways...

Isn't it fun?!?  I finally got the Adventure Awaits stamp set (more on that to come in a future post)and paired it with the Adventure Bound DSP.  The goat is From the Herd but his curiosity got the best of him and he snuck in to the scene. Hope you like him as much as I do!

So part of the hop is to answer a few questions. Here I go..


1. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
 A LOT! Well, for me at least. I keep pretty busy with a more-than-full-time job, doing my part to raise 3 daughters, taking care of my lovely and wonderful wife (actually letting her take care of me ;-) and now I'm a stamping hobbyist.  Aside from that, my current stamping commitments include a place on the Design Team at the weekly challenge site of Can You Case It and a monthly blog hop, but specifically I am looking ahead to Mother's Day...there are 3 Moms in my life, so I have a lot of brain storming and creating to do!

2. HOW DOES YOUR WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN YOUR GENRE?
 Well...I'm a Dude!! Lol!  As I have come to realize, we of the male persuasion are definitely the minority!  I would have to assume that this reflects in my work.  I like to have fun with my designs, I like to "think outside of the box" and try things that may be unconventional, and since I'm new to this art, I think that I offer a fresh perspective to a lot of the products and techniques.

3. WHY DO YOU CREATE WHAT YOU DO?
It all started because I wanted to be allowed to hang out in the craft room with my awesome wife.  There had always been a sign on the door that said "Only Ye of Crafting Blood May Enter" and I always thought it was just a gimmick until one night when I grabbed the door handle to go in and it scorched my hand!  Suddenly there was a fog that filled the hall and an eerie voice resonated through the walls..."Thou have awakened the Keeper of the Kraftroom!  As an Uncreator, you are to remain banished from this realm!"  The thought of being separated from my wife for another night was just too much, so I replied "Keeper, I humbly request permission to enter.  I am pure of heart and creative of brain.  I hereby accept the oath of Creativity.  Paper and Ink will be as my Food and Water and without these I shall surely perish."  I knew that the Keeper was doubtful as I could hear it in his tone when he answered "I have heard your kind before.  They take me for a fool and attempt shenanigans just to enter the Sacred Room of Kraft.  I should smite thee NOW!!"  I knew that I couldn't outrun him, since the fog was so thick that I couldn't even tell which way was out. But it didn't matter, because I was serious and sincere. "Keeper," I said, "If I will never be allowed to enter the Room of Kraft, then strike me now!  A life without Crafting is a life that I cannot bear!" After a long pause, there was a rumbling and the fog started to dissipate.  Suddenly, I found myself standing in the hall, with the door to the craft room wide open.  I walked in slowly, still in disbelief over the ordeal that I had just gone through.  As I passed the door, there was a note taped to the Do Not Enter sign.  It read, "With great creativity comes great responsibility.  Start a blog and post your cards to Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.  You shall call yourself Stampin' Stud to commemorate the epic strength and courage that you showed tonight.  I'll be watching you.  Now that you have vowed to create, you must continue until the end of your days...or face my wrath.  Regards, Keeper"

Aside from that, I just like to have fun, strive to impress my wife and hopefully make her proud of me (or just not embarrass her. Lol!). 

4. HOW DOES YOUR CREATIVITY WORK?
Ummm...Pretty random, I guess. Sometimes I have an idea for a finished product, but mostly I just get inspired by a stamp set or DSP.  I try to keep the project simple and limited to one or two stamp sets.  Usually, if I need to make a project and don't have a vision, I will just pick a few stamp sets, sit in the comfy craft room chair, listen to some Christian hip hop, and stare at the stamps for a while until something clicks.  By the time I start making something, I usually have a vision of the end result.



And now it's my turn to nominate! 

Jeanna Bohanon

 

I met Jeanna at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Convention earlier this year, and not only is she hilarious, caring, and kind, she is also extremely talented!  I am so blessed to be surrounded by amazing skill and heart.  Jeanna will be posting her Creative Hop post on March 30, 2015, so remember to visit stamptimesomewhere and see the great stuff she comes up with!  I'm know I'm excited...

 

Once again, big thanks to Krista Frattin for thinking of me for the hop.  It was a lot of fun and I HOPe to do it again sometime!

 

 

 

 

Adventure Awaits Photopolymer Bundle

$27.95

From The Herd Clear Stamp Set

$17.95

(Hashtag) Hello Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$17.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.