Chalkboard Mason Jar

Hello, Friends!

I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been trying to stretch my card making again.  On Monday's wiener dog balloon card, I used different colors than I usually reach for and stamped on colored card stock.  Today's card looks a little more classy as opposed to cute which is what I usually lean towards.  Since cute or whimsical is what my cards usually look like, this was a stretch for me!

My card is based on the Mason Jar challenge at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge blog.  

There are so many ways to go cute with this picture.  I could have used the yellow mason jar and had cute yellow pencils sticking out of it.  I could have stamped or written the ABC in a child-like handwritting on the black mason jar and stamped and die cut a piece of white chalk beside it.  However, I decided that I would try and make a different card from my usual style.

My card is still based on this picture.  My gray and white striped background comes from the stripes in the shades in the background.  I chose to focus on the black mason jar and recreated it using chalkboard paper.  I stamped my red flowers in two different shades of ink to mimic the various colors in the red flowers created by the shadows in the picture.  I stamped a more serious sentiment in white pigment ink on my mason jar like the ABCs in the picture.  I wasn't overly happy with the white ink on my chalkboard paper.  It might have been because of the different texture of the cardstock paper, but I didn't think it covered very well.  Finally, instead of a piece of chalk, I added one extra red flower at the bottom of the jar.  

I like challenging myself and forcing myself out of my "cute" box every now and then!  I also like being a more well-rounded crafter who can create different styles of cards.  Trust me, I'm still going to make more cute cards than anything else, but this was a fun little challenge to myself.

Is there a way you can challenge yourself to create a card or do something that's out of your "comfortable" box?  I'm challenging you to do it because it feels good to stretch yourself!

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Petals and Stems Stamp Set by Avery Elle
Mason Jar Labels Stamp Set by My Favorite Things
Love Bugs Stamp and Die Combo by Taylored Expressions
White Pigment Ink by unknown
Love Letter and Rhubarb Stalk Memento Luxe Inks by Tsukineko
Solar White 110 lb. Card Stock by Neenah
Smoky Slate Card Stock by Stampin' Up
Chalkboard 12 x 12 Paper Pad by DCWV
Petals and Stems ELLE-ments Dies by Avery Elle
Stripes Cover Up Die-namics by My Favorite Things
MISTI by My Sweet Petunia
Scotch Double Sided Foam Mounting Tape by 3M

CAS Card with Love Bugs



Hello, Friends!

I really like CAS, Clean and Simple, cards and have wanted to learn how to make them.  Clean and Simple cards typically have one main image, one layer, lots of open space and minimal embellishments.  It's much easier for me to make a card with lots of layers than it is to make one that doesn't have any or just one!  Learning to make CAS cards is a way to challenge myself and stretch my card making abilities.  One way to learn a new style or technique is to follow blogs that already use them.  I had been following the blog, CAS-ology for a while.  It is the "study of all things clean and simple."  Each week they have a cue card with a word on it that the design team uses to make their cards.  This week's card were based on the word "light."

I chose, at my Mom's suggestion, to use lightening bugs for "light."  I was going to use a stamp with a light bulb or a stamp that looks like a floor lamp.  It was her idea to use lightening bugs, or fire flys, which I thought was very clever and ended up being super cute.  Picking out stamps was the easy part!  After I picked my stamps for "light," I had to figure out how to make my CAS card.  This is where the CAS-ology blog came in, again. 

Each of the design team member's cards have an explanation of how it qualifies as clean and simple.  The explanation my card is based on is "an all die cut card works well in CAS design."  The stamp set I used, "Love Bugs" from Taylored Expressions, comes with it's own matching dies.  There is one for the jar and one for the lid. 

Another blog I had been following to learn about clean and simple cards, ShowCASe Your Style, also had a similar challenge- to use at lease one die cut on your card.  (I love how they used "ShowCASe" in their name.  So clever!)  These two blogs sealed the deal on how I would create my CAS card.  From there, it was easy.  I stamped, die cut, and then colored my images.  I adhered them to my white card base, which is typical of a CAS card, and one of the hardest parts for me!  I stamped my sentiment directly under the jar and my card was complete!  It is CAS.  It uses at least one die cut and it works with the word "light."

Is there a style of cards or a technique you'd like to learn in the new year?  Find websites, classes, or even YouTube videos to help you and then give it a shot!  You can always keep practicing and trying until you succeed.  It feels great to learn something new.  You'll be seeing more CAS cards on my blog as I keep trying new ways to make them. 

To go along with my blog, you can teach this old dog a new trick! 

Happy Stamping!

I used the following products to make this card:

Love Bugs Stamp and Die Set by Taylored Expressions

Daisy Bouquet Stamp Set by Taylored Expressions

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink by Tsukineko

Garden Green Classic Ink by Stampin' Up

Copic Markers

Solar White 110 lb Card Stock by Neenah

Kraft In Color 6x6 Paper Pad by Doodlebug Design Inc.

Scotch Double Sided Permanent Foam Tape by 3M

Finally, I will be entering my card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, "Anything Goes."