CTS #348

Good morning and happy Thursday!!  This is a super special week for me.  My oldest, the boy who made me a mom, is 16 tomorrow.  It seems like just yesterday that he was born, scaring the crap out of his dad and I.  I can't imagine life without this awesome kid.  He's such a joy to have around and I love that we can talk, laugh, and enjoy each others company.  Happy birthday, Isaac!!! I'm also a little excited that he gets his normal license today so he can drive to work and not just school. Woo hoo!

The other boys are healing well from their tonsillectomies and I am slowly getting my sanity back after doing two at once. I'm still not sure if that was a brilliant idea or a brilliantly stupid one. Anyway, that's the crazy that is happening around here. I'll tell you what I need, a good sketch to relax and make a card with. Luckily, CAS(E) this Sketch has me covered and you can enjoy it too. Here's the card I created:

I had a ton of fun with this card. I started by inking up the bottom of my white card stock with distress inks. Just a quick note, Scrapbook.com has a deal going on right now that you get a free randomly selected distress ink with a $25 purchase using the code FREEINKPAD. Can't beat that! After I finished inking my card front, I stamped this awesome winter scene in black and added a sentiment from the set at the top. I trimmed down my card front and layered it on a black card base. Super simple but I love the wintery look. Here's a closer look:

Thanks so much for checking out my card today and for playing along with us at CAS(E) this Sketch. I hope to see you over there!

Some of the product links included are affiliate links. You can use them at no cost to you with a big thanks from me!

Woodware Craft Winter Wonderland Stamp Shop at: Other | SSS	Neenah Solar White 110lb Cardstock Shop at: SC	Lawn Fawn Black Licorice Cardstock Shop at: SC	Scotch ATG Adhesive Gun Shop at: SC
Sizzix Big Shot Shop at: SC	Momento Tuxedo Ink Shop at: SC	Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide Ink Shop at: SC	Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide Ink Shop at: SC
Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Ink Shop at: SC	Bone Folder Shop at: SC	Mini Score Board Shop at: SC	Ink Blending Tool Shop at: SC
The ColorCase Storage Shop at: SC

CTS #347

Good morning! Guess what we have? SNOW!!!! Just what I was hoping for in November (insert sarcastic voice here). Luckily, the temp should go up enough today to melt most of it away. Those of you have already had feet of snow...I don't know how you do it. I love a good snow in December but I'm a fair weather snow lover. Blame it on my Florida upbringing. Ha ha! Something I do love and look forward to each week is our new sketches at CAS(E) this Sketch. This week's sketch is a Retro Sketch and it is always so fun to look back at the cards we made the first time around. You can check it out here:  CTS #138.  Here's my take on it this go around.

I used one of my all time favorite nativity stamp sets from Hero Arts on this card. It is one of those sets that I just can't replace no matter how many new nativity sets come out. It's the perfect size and I love the sentiments. I inked up the background and then stamped the images before cutting them out with some rounded rectangles. I layered the image of white to add some separation between the stripes in the rays and the stripes on the background paper. I hope you like it!

Thanks so much for checking out my card today! I hope you'll join us this week at CAS(E) this Sketch.

Some of the product links included are affiliate links. You can use them at no cost to you with a big thanks from me!

Hero Arts Greatest Gift Stamp Set Shop at: SC	Rounded Rectangle Dies Shop at: SC	Taylored Expressions Here Comes the Sun Stencil Shop at: Other	Neenah Solar White 110lb Cardstock Shop at: SC
Lawn Fawn Black Licorice Cardstock Shop at: SC	Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares (Black) Shop at: SC	Scotch ATG Adhesive Gun Shop at: SC	Sizzix Big Shot Shop at: SC
Momento Tuxedo Ink Shop at: SC	Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide Ink Shop at: SC	Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide Ink Shop at: SC	Mustard Seet Distress Oxide Ink Shop at: SC
Bone Folder Shop at: SC	Mini Score Board Shop at: SC	Ink Blending Tool Shop at: SC	The ColorCase Storage Shop at: SC

CTS #346

Good morning and happy Halloween! My boys are ready and SO excited to get out in their costumes tonight. I'm not quite as excited because it is super cold. I'm sure it will be a blast though and I did work hard on these crazy costumes so it is time to show them off. Another thing that is jut begging to be showed off...this week's CAS(E) this Sketch challenge. You must check it out as it is super fun and will give you some added inspiration if you, like me, are working on Christmas cards. Here's what I came up with:

I have been dying to use these items from Taylored Expressions October Release and they did not disappoint. They are awesome and so fun to layer. I cut three Label Stacklets 12 and layered the pieces from A Savior is Born and Follow the Star between the layers as I glued them together for dimension. I backed the scene with vellum stenciled with Here Comes the Sun inked with gold pigment ink. Finally, I layered it all on a gray card base with a black/gold strip and a sentiment from Neat & Tangled's Nativity Play stamp set. Here's a closer look:

Thanks so much for checking in with me today and I hope you will join us at CAS(E) this Sketch. Have a great day!

Some of the product links included are affiliate links. You can use them at no cost to you with a big thanks from me!

Taylored Expressions A Savior is Born Die Set Shop at: Other	Taylored Expressions Follow the Star Dies Set Shop at: Other	Taylored Expressions Label Stacklets 12 Die Set Shop at: Other	Taylored Expressions Here Comes the Sun Stencil Shop at: Other
Stardream Gold Cardstock Shop at: Other	Lawn Fawn 10 pack Storm Cloud Cardstock Shop at: SC	Lawn Fawn 10 pack Narwhal Cardstock Shop at: SC	Bazzill Basics 40lb Vellum Shop at: SC
Neenah Solar White 110lb Cardstock Shop at: SC	Lawn Fawn Black Licorice Cardstock Shop at: SC	Scotch ATG Adhesive Gun Shop at: SC	Sizzix Big Shot Shop at: SC
Momento Tuxedo Ink Shop at: SC	Delicata Golden Glitz Ink Shop at: SC	Bone Folder Shop at: SC	Mini Score Board Shop at: SC