CYCI #63 - Whale of a Sketch!!

Hello again!  Well, last week was certainly a busy/productive stamping session...3 blog posts and 4 cards...that's pretty good for me! Lol!  Hope you were able to visit my post from the Creative Hop on Monday, and if not, link is HERE; it's a lot of fun, I promise!

On to this week's CanYouCaseIt challenge for the week.  Today we have a trusty sketch to be inspired by! Here it is:

 

Here's my interpretation:

 

 

I was completely inspired by the Maritime DSP for this card.  I went with the whale (fussy-cut from the DSP) as my shape and lowered the sentiment a tad.  I also used the DSP for the water and the fishy sentiment accent circle.  The Night of Navy school of fish and silver embossed anchor images came from the Sea Street stamp set.  The sunset is a twist on the Bokeh technique (sponging a few colors then stenciling the white on).  I was very happy with the bright and colorful fun and graphic card...looking forward to reusing the sunset technique for another card soon!  I can also see the fun Maritime DSP working perfectly for a boy themed birthday card, invitations, even party favors!  The more I work with it, the more I keep finding uses for it, too. I even made a party hat out of one of the flags in my last post!

 

I hope I have planted a seed of inspiration for your own creation.  Please visit CanYouCaseIt.com to see more of the design team creations, the great entries that we have, and don't forget to upload your own project and play along.  TTYL and see you next week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maritime Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Sea Street Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$16.95

Perfect Pennants Clear Stamp Set

$21.95

Large Scallop Edgelits Die

$7.95

Hooray It's Your Day Card Kit

$24.95

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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

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Ahoy, Mateys!! CYCI#62

Welcome to another edition of CanYouCaseIt?!  This week we have another Designer's Choice challenge.  These are a lot of fun because you can play along with any type of project, no parameters to follow, no limit to your creativity!  Please share your projects on our CYCI site so we can see your wonderful creations!

 

 



My card for you this week is a fun and versatile Boy-themed 4"x4" note card.  Take a look: 

 

 



All in all, this was a fairly simple card.  I achieved the chevron background using the striped stencil and white sponging, and the main image is stamped onto a crinkled piece of Kraft cardstock.  I rolled the edges to finish off the "treasure map" affect.  The ribbon for the sentiment is the backside of the 5/8" Natural Chevron.  Oh, and I just discovered the Maritime DSP, which I used for the red anchor banner, so keep an eye out for more of that to come!! 

 

Thanks for joining us at CYCI this week.  If you haven't already, please head over and see what the other designers have made for you, as well as this week's entries.  Don't forget to enter your own project too!

 

SPOILER ALERT (kinda, but actually not really...just wanted to get your attention :-)  Come back tomorrow (or if you're not reading this today, then tomorrow is Monday March 23, 2015, but then again if you're not reading this on Sunday March 22 the post that I'm referring to will already be up and you will have likely already seen it...oh never mind, this is too confusing...just keep reading, please. Lol!) because I will be part of a creative blog hop...I promise lot's of fun and a really cute card, one of my favorites so far! 

 

 

 

 

Hey, Valentine Clear Stamp Set

$17.95

Natural 5/8" Chevron Ribbon

$6.95

Kraft 12" X 12" Card Stock

$5.95

Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Gold Glimmer Paper

$4.95

Project Life Let's Get Away Photopolymer Stamp Set

$13.95

Maritime Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks

$2.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Hey Y'all...The Tale of the Stamp n' Chat

My card this week inspired me to share a short story with you...(purely fiction)...

There once was a young stud named Jim.  Jim was single and independent, but he was also lonely. Young Stud Jim had recently relocated to a new town to get a fresh start in a booming industry when a very special young maiden (we'll call her Mercedes) caught his eye. After many "chance" encounters and passing sessions of small talk, Jim could tell that he was starting to attract the lovely lady's attention as well. As the days and weeks passed, "small talk" turned into hours of conversation and "chance encounters" turned into many "dinner and a movie"s.  As weeks turned into months, Young Stud Jim continued to spend as much time as possible with his newfound sweetheart. The activity didn't matter; whether it was sitting in traffic during a commute, sneaking in to her workplace on the weekend, or giving her rides to and from night classes at the local community college, Jim was happy when he was with her.

One day, Mercedes said that she wouldn't see him that night. She had made plans to go with her coworker to a "rubber stamping party." Jim wasn't sure what that really meant, especially since "rubber stamping" and "party" weren't typically heard together in the same context, but he knew that he wanted to be there too. After all, a party's a party, and if it meant being with his dream girl then it was a win-win. So they went together but it turned out to not be much of a "party."  There wasn't music and dancing. I don't even think there was food. It turned out to just be a few ladies sitting around a table playing with paper and rubber stamps and making cards. Oh and when the cards were made and Jim thought that they would leave, the catalogs came out. Which in turn brought the "oohs" and "ahhhs."   Which in turn brought out the checkbooks. And a hobby was born.

The "parties" changed to "Make n' Takes" which then turned into "classes" and month after month Mercedes would go the the same house and sit in the garage and stamp away. And of course Jim would be at her side. Eventually  the "classes" turned into something called a "Stamp n' Chat."  From that point on, the third Thursday of the month became a rush to create, cut, and present a project that was suitable to impress the group. When the babies came, Jim would continue to tag along to help both of them have piece of mind that babies were fed and diapers were changed in a timely manner.  Eventually the honeymoon was over, and Mercedes started to drive away alone, leaving Jim to fend for himself with the little ones. 

Now years were passing and Jim would reminisce over the good old days when he and Mercedes would stamp in the lady's garage. He would feel the rush of excitement on the third Thursday when there would be a whirlwind of paper cutting and exclamations of "I'm so late" before he would look out the window to see the tail lights of the minivan as Mercedes would drive off without him. Alas, he longed for the days of the Stamp n' Chat...

One day Mercedes reminded Jim that her Stamp n' Chat was next week.  As usual, a tear started to drip from his eye, his smile turned to a frown, and he started pleading his case for her not to go.  This time, he tried the "I have to work late" excuse, but since her mother had moved in and the babies had turned into kids, this reasoning had lost all of it's power.  But this time, instead of her normal "I'm going and you'll be fine" reply, he heard something wonderful.  Something he thought he would never hear again.  And it brought a tear of joy rather than sorrow:  "Do you want to come with me?"  And Jim was happy again.

:-)

So coincidentally, I recently got invited to my wife's monthly Stamp n' Chat!  And much like the Jim of our story, I too was swept up on Thursday with the last minute paper cutting, shouts of "We're so late," and the thrill of hoping that the ladies would like my card.  Here's what I made for the group:

 



I drew my inspiration from the Yee-Haw stamp set. The rustic look of the Baked Brown Sugar thick baker's twine and the Craft cardstock complimented the stamp set perfectly.  All ink was Soft Suede and the background texture is Woodgrain, and the Star Strip was part of the Irresistibly Yours DSP using an emboss resist technique. 

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for hangin' out.  I'll be back in a few days with a sketch challenge from Can You Case It? so I hope you come back to check it out and play along!

Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper

$0.00

Yee-Haw Photopolymer Stamp Set

$25.95

Baked Brown Sugar Thick Baker's Twine

$3.50

Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

Kraft 12" X 12" Card Stock

$5.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.