CAS Fat Bear - Stampin' Up!® Woodland Wishes

   A few weeks back the Paper Players had a fun clean and simple theme of "bear" for their weekly challenge.  I thought the timing was perfect as it was also Fat Bear Week in Alaska around the same time so the stamping vibes were very much in alignment!  I didn't get the card made and photographed in time to share then but the challenge was definitely my inspiration so I wanted to give a shout out.  

  Behold, my fat (CAS) bear!  I think the colors might have been from another challenge but I can't even remember now!  I started with a Basic White card base, then used an already embossed piece of Gray Granite from my stash and die cut it with the oval from Noel Tidings dies.

  The bear from Woodland Wishes is stamped in Early Espresso and colored in with Blends markers.  I fussy cut it and then popped it over the sentiment strip.  The sentiment is in the Banner Sayings stamp set and the die for the strip is also in the Noel Tidings dies.

  A few retired Streaked Dots are finishing touch to this clean and simple card.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Woodland Wishes (Online Exclusive), Banner Sayings

Ink: Early Espresso

Blends: Pecan Pie light & dark, Ivory

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Gray Granite

Accessories: Noel Tidings dies, dimensionals, Brick & Mortar embossing folder (retired), Streaked Dots (retired)

Celebrate in Circles - Stampin' Up!® Round About Messages

   I've just been dropping the ball lately and I completely forgot that I had a card due for the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge that posted yesterday.  It's an every other week challenge and for some reason I was thinking I still had a week!  I feel like I'm going crazy some days!  Anyway, here's my card, a day late and a dollar short as my dad says!

Rachel has given us a lovely grouping of circles to work with though you can swap them out for another shape or mix and match!

  Since I was already late I didn't want to overthink it and I knew I needed to add to my masculine birthday cards stash so I went with Pool Party & Secret Sea as a color combo and used the Round About Messages stamp set.

  The Stylish Shapes dies continue to be a staple in my card making and they give just the right amount of detail for a clean and simple card.

  I hope you'll play along with this sketch and share your design in our gallery so we can all oooohhhh and aaaahhhh!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Round About Messages

Ink: Secret Sea, Pool Party

Blends: Daffodil Delight light & dark, Pool Party light & dark

Paper: Basic White think, Basic White, Pool Party, Moonlit Flora DSP

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Clear Ribboned Adhesive Dots (retired)

Pine Wreath - Stampin' Up!® Noel Tidings

  We are back with a new challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches today! It's a color challenge this time and Rachel has given us a beautiful set of colors to work with!

  Since I'm in the US we are heading into fall and looking towards winter so I saw these colors as perfect for a Christmas card!  If you're in the Southern Hemisphere these might be just right for your spring cards!

  I stamped a bunch of pine branches from the Noel Tidings set and die cut them to make a wreath shape overlapping each die cut for a nice full look.  A Basic White thick card base is the perfect clean and simple background for the wreath.

  

 Using the Welcome Noel dies I cut some Highland Heather stars, colored them with clear Wink of Stella and added them to the wreath.  The sentiment from Soiree Salutations is stamped and die cut and is popped on dimensionals across the center of the wreath.

  Now I needed to get some of the Bubble Bath on this card!  I had a small scrap of some very narrow bubble bath ribbon that was just perfect for a fork bow!  Usually I use a serving fork to make the bows but I wanted this bow to be even smaller so I used a dinner fork instead and it was just the right size.  Check out my tutorial on how to make a fork bow here.

  A few iridescent Bubble Bath sequins add a bit more sparkle as a finishing touch.  I hope you'll give these great colors a try and add your card to our gallery.  Remember to keep it clean and simple!

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Noel Tidings, Soiree Salutations

Ink: Peaceful Pine, Highland Heather

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Highland Heather

Accessories: Noel Tidings dies, Welcome Noel Dies, dimensionals, Bubble Bath ribbon (retired), iridescent sequins (retired)

CAS Thanksgiving - Stampin' Up!® Soiree Salutations

  Talk about a clean and simple card!  This one lets the sparkly leaf be the focal point.  I send out a small amount of Thanksgiving cards each year so I like to get some finished up early and this would be a great one to make multiples of!

  I used Very Vanilla for the card base as well as to die cut the Scalloped Christmas Cheer rectangle.  I used the detailed Elegant Leaves die to cut the leaf shape out of the Very Vanilla panel.  Then I cut the same leaf in Cajun Craze.   I adhered a piece of the Cajun Craze Autumn Woodland Glimmer paper behind the Vanilla panel and then added the detailed Cajun Craze die cut over the top of the Glimmer paper.

  The sentiment from Soiree Salutations is stamped below the leaf in Early Espresso and then a few retired Streaked Dots finish this clean and simple seasonal card.

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Soiree Salutations

Ink: Early Espresso

Paper: Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, Autumn Woodland Glimmer Paper

Accessories: Scalloped Christmas Cheer dies, Elegant Leaves dies, Streaked Dots (retired)

CAS Christmas Cheer - Stampin' Up® Welcome Noel Dies

   Has everyone else spent today thinking it was Monday instead of Tuesday??  Happens to me every time  there is a 3 day weekend.  So not only being confused about what day it is I've spent the day trying to catch up as I had an uncharacteristically busy long weekend.  I was out of town in a different place each of the 3 days for most of the day doing fun stuff but also not spending any time in the stamp room so I'm glad I had a card already made to share today!  

  When I posted this card for the current CAS Colours & Sketches challenge I had said that I made two cards for it and would share the second one later well today is later!  I can't get away from focusing on Christmas cards at least a little bit these days so it's a clean and simple Christmas card using the Welcome Noel dies.

  I think the colors really steal the show on this card.  I had this combo marked down to try and it did not disappoint!  The trees are die cut from Pretty Peacock and Peaceful Pine, the house in Flirty Flamingo and the sentiment is stamped in Pretty Peacock on Pool Party cardstock.

  Each little snippet of the die cuts are popped on dimensionals.  I did have to trim some down to fit the smaller areas but it was well worth the extra few seconds.

  Each house and tree are covered with clear Wink of Stella for a beautiful subtle sparkle.  And since it is a festive occasion card I added a bit more sparkle with some retired Traditional Sparkling Sequins.

  Everything is mounted on Basic White with a Pretty Peacock mat layer and then a Basic White thick card base.  This is a great layout to use with scrap cardstock pieces because you don't need to cut the whole long die but just pick sections to cut.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Noel Tidings

Ink: Pretty Peacock

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Pretty Peacock, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party, Peaceful Pine

Accessories: Welcome Noel dies, Noel Tidings dies, dimensionals, Wink of Stella, Traditional Sparkling Sequins (retired)

Hello x 4 - Stampin' Up!® Round About Messages

 Sometimes ideas for CAS cards are hard to come by and sometimes you have several ideas and aren't sure which is the better card to share!  The latter was my dilemma with this newest CAS Colours & Sketches challenge!  So I'm sharing one card today and I'll post the second in a few days and you all can decide which was the better way to use this sketch!

    As I'm in the first weeks of having both of my boys away at college I'm making an effort to create cards that might be well received by them (ie keeping the frills and fluff to a minimum lol!).  Clean and simple challenges are perfect for this focus and I am embracing it!  I used the just about to be released Round About Messages stamp set for this design.

  I constantly collect color combos and mark them down with swatches in a notebook so whenever I'm in need of one I can page through and see what jumps out at me.  This is one of those combos and I think it's a fun one for a masculine feel.

  The card base is Basic White thick, then a layer of Basic White is die cut with retired Textured Notes dies for a tiny bit of detail along the edges.

 Next I stamped the 'hello!' in Versamark on a 1 inch wide strip of each of the four colors then embossed them in white.  I trimmed the edges down to crisp angles and then popped them with dimensionals on the card front following the sketch.  

  A few retired Faux Glass Dots are a clean embellishment to help bring the eye down the card.

  I can't wait to see how you use this sketch!  Be sure to keep your design clean and simple with 'white' space and minimal layers and patterns.  Share in the challenge gallery so we can all oooohhh and aaaahhh!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available starting September 1, 2026 in the Stampin' Up!® Sept.-Dec. catalog.

Stamps: Round About Messages*

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Golden Glow, Pumpkin Pie, Coastal Cabana, Pretty Peacock

Accessories: white embossing powder, dimensionals, Textured Notes dies (retired), Faux Glass Dots (retired)

Caring Leaves - Stampin' Up!® Elegant Leaves

   The design team at CAS Colours & Sketches is back with a new challenge this week!  I suggested the colors for this challenge and I can't wait to see how you all use them!  

  Misty Moonlight, Pecan Pie and Berry Burst seemed like a bit of a fall combo to me and seeing as how I recently got the Elegant Leaves bundle in my pre-order I didn't waste any time putting this card together!

  I started with a Basic White thick card base, then a slightly smaller layer of Basic White.  I used the fun wood grain die to cut the band in the middle of this panel.  The leaf is stamped in Berry Burst with a Pecan Pie overlay; such a great combo!!  It's die cut then popped on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is also in the Elegant Leaves stamp set and I embossed it in white on a Misty Moonlight banner that I trimmed to size.

  A few Pecan Pie faceted gems give just the tiniest bit of sparkle to finish off this clean and simple design.

  Check out the rest of the Design Team samples and then play along!  Remember to keep to the challenge colors plus neutrals as well as a clean and simple design.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available Sept. 1 in the Stampin' Up!® Sept.-Dec. 2026 catalog.

Stamps: Elegant Leaves*

Ink: Berry Burst, Pecan Pie, Versamark

Paper: Basic White, Basic White thick, Misty Moonlight

Accessories: Elegant Leaves dies*, white embossing powder, dimensionals, Opaque Faceted Gems (SAB 2024 retired)

Rising Sun Sailboat - Stampin' Up!® Sunset Coast Dies

      Having a decent stash of masculine birthday cards is always in the back of my mind when creating and I find clean and simple cards the perfect time to focus on those guy cards I might soon be needing.  The Sunset Coast bundle can be used for layered, embellished and over the top "Wow" cards but it can also be great for some clean lines and simple layouts.

 The Addicted to CAS challenge theme of water was my starting point for this card.  I started with a Basic White thick card base, then added a layer of Scenic Coast DSP.  I chose the b side instead of the shimmery side because I liked the uniform color of the water to anchor the center of my card and keep the focus on the mail elements.

  Next I cut 2 of the sunburst dies, one in Crushed Curry and the second in another of the Scenic Coast DSP b sides in a Crushed Curry pattern.  I adhered the cardstock sun to a piece of Basic White and trimmed off the excess.  Next I added the DSP rays from the other die cut to the openings of the cardstock sun using the Basic White backing to give some support to the circle and it was easier to put the glue on the white than the DSP.

  I die cut the sail boat and waves from Secret Sea cardstock and trimmed the boat down and popped it on dimesionals just in front of the sun.  The waves along with the Banner Sayings sentiment are adhered under the boat.  No embellishments or extras on this clean and simple card.

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  

Stamps: Banner Sayings

Ink: Secret Sea

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Secret Sea, Crushed Curry, Scenic Coast DSP

Accessories: Sunset Coast dies, dimensionals

Get Well Leaf - Stampin' Up!® Elegant Leaves

   I've got a sneak peek for you of some upcoming Stampin' Up!® products that will be released on September 1!  We've got this fall beauty coming in the Sept.-Dec. 2026 catalog.  I love a good leaf set and will use the Elegant Leaves bundle for every kind of card imaginable for the next 4-5 months.  Leaves are nothing if not versatile so if you don't have a good leaf set in your stamp collection take a good look at this one!

  I'm playing along with the CAS on Fridays challenge to make a clean and simple get well card.  I played around with some ink smooshing and watercolor paper and while not really satisfied with the end result it was good enough to use to make a focal point leaf for this card.  Sometimes the vision doesn't translate to the cardstock lol!

  After the water color paper was dried I added the leaf veining with stamped off once Golden Glow ink and then die cut.  I stamped the sentiment on a piece of Golden Glow and popped it over a bow made from the new Neutrals Jute which will also be available on Sept. 1.  It's definitely thicker and rougher than linen thread and baker's twine but gives a really nice rustic feel that's perfect for the fall nature theme of this card.

  Finally I added a single Golden Glow In Color Dot to the sentiment as the last touch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available starting Sept. 1.  If you'd like to get early access to these products you can join my team HERE.

Stamps: Elegant Leaves*

Ink: Golden Glow, Timid Tiger, Flirty Flamingo

Paper: Basic White thick, watercolor paper, Golden Glow

Accessories: Elegant Leaves dies*, Neutrals Jute Combo Pack*, dimensionals, 2026-2028 In Color Dots

Nevermore - Stampin' Up!® Raven's Tale

   The newest CAS Colours & Sketches challenge is here and there is so much you can do with this sketch from Suzy!  That rectangle just holds so many possibilities!  Just remember to keep it clean and simple!

I was dithering a bit when deciding what to do for this sketch when I had the lightbulb moment to frame out an image instead of stamping something on the rectangle.  The new Raven's Tale stamp set was just the ticket!

 I decided at the start of 2026 to befriend the crows at my local park so of course I needed this stamp set for all of my crow lady era card needs!  Isn't he/she majestic??!  

  I started with a Basic Black card base, then stamped the raven/crow in Memento onto a piece of Basic White.  I die cut the frame with the retired Deckled Rectangle dies using retired black glitter paper and popped it up on dimensionals right over the bird.  

  The sentiment is also stamped in Memento black and is fussy cut and popped on dimensionals.  

  I highlighted parts of the raven/crow with clear Wink of Stella and a few sparkle gems finish off the design. 

  I can't wait to see your creation in our challenge gallery!

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Raven's Tale (Online Exclusives)

Ink: Memento Black

Paper: Basic Black, Basic White, Black Glitter paper (retired)

Accessories: Wink of Stella, dimensionals, Deckled Rectangle dies (retired), Sparkle Gems (retired)

Stitched Plaid Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Stitched Stocking

   The super talented CAS Colours & Sketches Design Team is back today with another great clean and simple challenge!  Our colors are courtesy of Joanne and she has a winner with this trio!  

  Petal Pink, Calypso Coral and Lost Lagoon!   I had a bunch of ideas right away but landed on a simple what I like to call a "4 square" layout.  I think I pull this basic sketch out at least once every six months.  I find it perfect for small images.  I decided to use the new Stitched Stocking bundle and threw in a bit of the new hot foiling as well.

  Keeping it clean and simple with a Basic White thick card base, then a layer of Basic White tied with a bit of retired Lost Lagoon Soft Cording.

  A Stitched Shape square die cut is the base for the 3 little stamped squares in our colors.  I stamped each one with the little windowpane plaid stamp from the Stitched Stocking stamp set (yes it's a Christmas set but I love making these seasonal sets good for more than just one season!).  I die cut each square with the coordinating die and added a little detail by running my scoring stylus around the inside of the die before removing the cardstock.  It gives the die cut a little bit of puffy detail. Subtle details like this are a wonderful way to elevate a clean and simple design without adding more layers.

  The sentiment is from the Cutest Crew stamp set and it the perfect size for my 4th square.  It's embossed in gold.  And check out that hot foiled butterfly!  I've made a few cards using the new Stampin' Up!® hot foiling system but I hadn't used the Butterfly Flight bundle yet.  The smallest butterfly was the perfect size this this design. 

  So perfectly shiny!  I used the coordinating masks to get the challenge colors in just the right spots.  Once it was die cut I folded the wings up just a bit and adhered it with mini dimensionals. I found the little butterfly is the perfect way to use up smaller scraps of foil because you know I can't throw out something that could come in handy someday!  I don't want to waste a bit of that shiny goodness!

  I can't wait to see what you do with these colors so be sure to share your creation in our challenge gallery.  Remember to keep it clean and simple; lots of open space and uncluttered.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Stitched Stocking (Online Exclusive), Cutest Crew (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, Lost Lagoon, Versamark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, Lost Lagoon

Accessories: Stitched Stocking dies (Online Exclusive), Stitched Shapes dies, Butterfly Flight Hot Foil bundle, gold foil, dimensionals, Lost Lagoon soft cording (retired), gold embossing powder

Buzzy Bee Love - Stampin' Up!® Bee My Valentine

   I'm pulling out an oldie stamp set today for the newest CAS Colours & Sketches challenge!  I'm using the Bee My Valentine stamp set and punch for this sketch challenge and while it may seem out of season you can send 'love you' card any time of the year!!

Joanne has given us this fun layout with the elements clustered up in the top corner.  It took me a few minutes to land on the stamp set but I think the Bee My Valentine set works for it.  I was a little loose with the shapes but the bee is kind of boxy looking and I substituted a heart for the star on the sketch.  

  This one starts with a Pool Party base, then a layer of Berry Burst, then the top layer of Basic White cut with the Perennial Postage dies.

  The Bee My Valentine set and punch have been out for quite a while and it must still be fairly popular for Stampin' Up!® to have kept it for so long.  It's not hard to see why though!  Look at that sweet little thing!

  I stamped and punched out the bee and popped it up on dimensionals at the end of the stamped buzzy path that connects to the sentiment.

 The heart in lieu of a star is punched with the bee builder punch and is the long retired Soft Shimmer Paper in Berry Burst.

  I can't wait to see all the creative ways you come up with to use this sketch.  Be sure to keep your design clean and simple and share it in our challenge gallery!

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Bee My Valentine

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Memento Black, Pool Party

Paper: Pool Party, Berry Burst, Basic White, Soft Shimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: Bee Builder punch, dimensionals, Perennial Postage dies

Snail Mail Delivery - Stampin' Up!® Wild Bunch

 Are you ready for some Clean and Simple stamping inspiration?  The CAS Colours & Sketches challenge team is back with a new challenge and this time we are doing a color combo! Suzy has us using Blackberry Bliss, Gorgeous Grape and Garden Green!  Beautiful right colors wouldn't you say?

I decided to really make it a true challenge and not do flowers which were my first instinct!  I always love it when my Design Team friends use colors in slightly unexpected ways so I looked through my stamps and landed on the Wild Bunch stamp set!  I figured a snail can be any color combo I want right?

  Isn't he/she sweet?  The Wild Bunch stamp set is the June 2026 Product of the Month and if you love critter stamps this one should definitely find it's way into your next order!  

  I started with a Gorgeous Grape card base, then did all the fun stuff on a panel of Basic White.  The snail and heart are stamped in the new Basic Black Hybrid ink.  It's really my first time using it for any coloring and besides my pad being a bit juicy I thought it held up nicely to watercoloring.  The snail is watercolored with all three colors.  Then I used my Stampin' Journaling Pen and drew in the snail trail trying to match the line thickness of the image.

  Looking at this now I should have colored the heart in with Blackberry Bliss but it is what it is! Finally I stamped the sentiment above the heart also using the Basic Black Hybrid ink.

  I can't wait to see what you do with these awesome colors!  Be sure to keep your design "clean and simple" as in minimal layers and embellishments and lots of open space.  Link your card up in the CAS Colours & Sketches gallery so we can all  oooohhh and aaahhh over it!

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Wild Bunch (June 2026 POM)

Ink: Basic Black Hybrid, Blackberry Bliss, Gorgeous Grape, Garden Green

Paper: Gorgeous Grape, Basic White

Accessories: water painters, Journaling Pen

Biggest Fan Father's Day - Stampin' Up!® Match Day

   The CAS Colours & Sketches team is back with a new challenge for you!  This time we are working with a sketch from Rachel that has so many possibilities with the fun tag element!  

 Since the World Cup is about to start and we are a soccer family and Father's Day is coming I decided to combine the two with this great sketch!

  So I originally had the elements right on a Basic White thick card base but I realized after I had adhered everything that the card opened the wrong way!  Duh!  So I cut the front off and trimmed it down a bit and added it back to a Basic White base that opened the correct way!  What can I say, sometimes my card base creases are just too good lol!

  For my tag elements I layered a Basic Black one behind the A Wonderful Match DSP tag.  Some black baker's twine is used for the string.

  The jersey and sentiment are both stamped in Memento black.  The jersey is colored with Blends then die cut and added to the card with dimensionals.  The sentiment is fussy cut and also popped on dimensionals.

  I couldn't resist using a few retired black Adhesive-Backed Sparkle Gems to add a little bit of shine.  

  I can't wait to see how you use this great layout for your CAS designs.  Remember to keep it clean and simple, minimal layers and patterns with a clean look and lots of white space.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

 Stamps: Match Day (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Memento Black

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Basic Black, A Wonderful Match DSP

Accessories: Match Day dies, (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, baker's twine, tag punch (retired), Adhesive-Backed Sparkle Gems (retired)

Simple Sunset Scene - Stampin' Up!® Sunset Coast

   The weather in central Virginia is heating up so it's high time that all the summer themed stamps get some attention.  The Sunset Coast bundle is perfect for coastal scenes that will make you want to head straight for the beach.

  I pulled these colors from a challenge a few weeks ago and for the life of me I can't remember which one.  Maybe I follow too many challenges??!  Nah, that's a silly thought!  If you recognize the colors please let me know so I can give credit.

  I started with a Coastal Cabana base and then did all my stamping on a piece of Basic White.  The larger bit of water is stamped in Coastal Cabana, the inset water is Crisp Cantaloupe.  The sun is Pumpkin Pie and the clouds are Melon Mambo.

  The clouds are stamped and die cut with the 2 one the edges popped on dimensionals.  

  The sentiment is stamped in Memento Black and I added a few Sunset Sparkle Sequins.  Told you this was a super simple card!  Whip up a few of these so you're ready for some summer card sending occasions!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Sunset Coast

Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Memento Black

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Basic White

Accessories: Sunset Coast dies, dimensionals, Sunset Sparkle sequins

Masculine Balloons - Stampin' Up!® Balloon Festoon

   The CAS Colours & Sketches challenge team is back with a new challenge to get you inspired for clean and simple designs.  This time is color combo!  Rachel has given us Night of Navy, Gray Granite and Balmy Blue.  Perfect colors for a masculine card if you need a place to start for the men in your life!  As you can see that's how I used them!  

  I always need a little help getting a guy card started so that's what I went with so I could beef up my stash of birthday cards.  And the Balloon Festoon bundle was a great pairing!

  I simply cut a few balloons in graduated sizes in the challenge color, added a little bit of stamping to the blue ones and embossed the Gray Granite one with the Beautiful Pattern embossing folder.

  I adhered them to a Basic White panel with the top two being popped on dimensionals.  I trimmed off the over hang and then hand drew the string with a marker.

  The sentiment from the Banner Sayings stamp set is stamped in Night of Navy at the bottom.  The whole panel is then adhered to a Basic White thick card base.

  Head over to the see the CAS Colours & Sketches design team inspiration and add your creation using these colors to the gallery.  Make sure to keep it clean and simple with minimal layers and patterns and lots of open space.

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Balloon Festoon, Banner Sayings

Ink: Balmy Blue, Night of Navy

Paper: Night of Navy, Gray Granite, Balmy Blue, Basic White, Basic White thick

Accessories: Balloon Festoon dies, dimensionals, Beautiful Pattern embossing folder

Fern Love - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora

   I'm back today with a great new challenge from CAS Colours & Sketches!  This time it's a great sketch with a fun diagonal element!  I can't wait to see how you all use this layout!  I'm continuing my obsession with the Fern & Flora bundle and used to make a sweet sending love card.

  It's simple but shows off the large fern stamp really well!

    I started with a piece of Soft Sea Foam and embossed it with the Fern & Flora embossing folder and added to the card front.  Next I cut a piece of Basic White on the diagonal and then trimmed it down to leave a gap between the pieces so that you can see the embossing.

  Using the retired Deckled Rectangle dies I cut a Pool Party panel and a smaller Basic White panel.  The fern is stamped in Lost Lagoon ink and then some Soft Sea Foam ink is lightly blended over it with a blending brush.  I popped this panel on the card front with dimensionals.

  The sentiment from the Prayers & Promises stamp set is stamped in Gray Granite ink.  A few Pressed Flower Motifs embellishments are added to the corner for a finishing touch.

  I hope you'll join in on using this great sketch for a clean and simple card of your own and share it with us in our CAS Colours & Sketches gallery!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Fern & Flora, Prayers & Promises

Ink: Soft Sea Foam, Lost Lagoon, Gray Granite

Paper: Basic White, Soft Sea Foam, Pool Party

Accessories: Fern & Flora embossing folder, dimensionals, Pressed Flower Motifs embellishments, Deckled Rectangle dies (retired)

Simple Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Simple Alphabet

  If you don't have an alphabet stamp set in your collection then I highly recommend the Simple Alphabet set!  I've used it for a number of cards and I am always pleased with the results.  I find it easy to line up, quick to fussy cut if that's your thing and super cute if you want to use the letters in a less structured way.  I used the Simple Alphabet set to create my own birthday greeting in a bright color palette for the Addicted to CAS challenge prompt of 'birthday'.  It would be great for scrapbook titles, personalized cards and whatever else you could use an alphabet stamp set for!

  The card base is Basic White thick and then a layer of Azure Afternoon.  All the fun happens on the top panel of Basic White.  I spelled out 'happy birthday' with the Simple Alphabet set and in a fun group of colors.  I didn't line up the letters perfectly straight and overlapped some edges for a less formal look.  This playful look goes nicely with the bright colors.  And yes, my first go at this I didn't give myself enough room for all of the letters in birthday.  But making mistakes is all part of creating!

  I used the Addressed to You stamp set to stamp the little bunch of balloons in Memento black and then colored them with Blends markers.  I added small highlights using a white gel pen.  The whole panel is popped on the card front with dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Simple Alphabet (Online Exclusive), Addressed to You (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Memento Black, Poppy Parade, Darling Duckling, Pool Party, Balmy Blue, Azure Afternoon

Blends: Darling Duckling, Poppy Parade, Azure Afternoon

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Azure Afternoon

Accessories: white gel pen, dimensionals

Bright Balloons - Stampin' Up!® Balloon Festoon

   I don't know where the last 2 weeks have gone but it seems they have flown by and we are back again for the next CAS Colours & Sketches challenge!  We have a fun and bright color combo this time around.  You can use neutrals on your design but make sure that the challenge colors are the most prominent and you keep it clean and simple!

I decided to do a celebratory card with these fun colors and used the new Balloon Festoon bundle (coming May 5!) for a birthday card.

   This card couldn't be more simple and is a perfect way to use up some DSP scraps!  It starts with a piece of Basic White in which 3 of the smallest balloon shapes are cut out of it using the Balloon Festoon dies.  Then I dug through my stash of DSP to find a pattern in each of the 3 colors and adhered them on the backside of the Basic White panel.  That panel is adhered to a Flirty Flamingo card base which you can't see.

  The sentiment is stamped in Memento black and some retired sequins are added as the final touch.

  I told you it was a simple card!  I hope to see your card in the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge gallery.  You have until May 11 to try out these fun colors!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. Items marked with a * will ba available on May 5, 2026.

Stamps: Balloon Festoon*

Ink: Memento Black

Paper: Basic White, Made With Love DSP, Friends of the Ocean DSP (retired), Gingham Gala DSP (retired)

Accessories: Balloon Festoon dies*, Adhesive-backed Sparkle Sequins (retired)

Dog Trio - Stampin' Up!® Cutest Crew

 The CAS Colours & Sketches challenge team is back today with a brand new clean and simple challenge!  Deborah has given us a fun layout to create with this time.  So many ways to use these 3 circles!  

  I used them to highlight some of the adorable pups in the Cutest Crew stamp set.  The dogs are just the right size for this layout.

  This one is about as simple as you can get!  I started with a Basic White thick card base and then added 3 wonky circles in Secret Sea, Peaceful Pine and Cherry Cobbler.  

  Next I stamped the row of dogs on a piece of Basic White using Memento Black ink.  I colored in 3 of the dogs with Blends and then fussy cut them and popped them on the circles with dimensionals.

  The simple birthday sentiment is stamped in Memento below the dogs and 2 scored lines are made above the dogs to finish this CAS design.

  I can't wait to see the creative ways you come up with for this sketch.  Be sure to share it in our challenge gallery but keep it Clean and Simple (CAS).

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. Items marked with a * will be available on May 5, 2026.

Stamps: Cutest Crew (Online Exclusive), Banner Sayings

Ink: Memento black

Blends: Pecan Pie light & dark, Basic Gray light & dark, Ivory, Golden Glow dark*, Peaceful Pine light*

Paper: Basic White thick, Secret Sea, Peaceful Pine*, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: dimensionals, Around It All dies (retired)